Zika virus NS3 protease induces bone morphogenetic protein-dependent brain calcification in human fetuses.

ABSTRACT: The most frequent fetal birth defect associated with prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is brain calcification, which in turn may potentially affect neurological development in infants. Understanding the mechanism could inform the development of potential therapies against prenatal ZIKV brain calcification. In perivascular cells, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is an osteogenic factor that undergoes maturation to activate osteogenesis and calcification. Here, we show that ZIKV infection of cultivated primary human brain pericytes triggers BMP2 maturation, leading to osteogenic gene expression and calcification. We observed extensive calcification near ZIKV⁺ pericytes of fetal human brain specimens and in vertically transmitted ZIKV⁺ human signal transducer and acti

SUBMITTER: Chen W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8012254 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature